This all started with the report that presidential confidant Hope Hicks had symptoms and tested positive for Covid 19. The news that Donald and Melania Trump tested positive late Thursday obviously dominated attention. But the one report I've seen on Hicks said that she is quite sick, with fever and--the telltale Covid sign--loss of smell. She is also reportedly pissed off at the lax attitudes and practices at the White House, and especially pissed off that the impression has been given--by Trump himself--that she is the source of the Trumps' infection. In terms of behavior, she is probably the least likely member of the inner circle.
Now that we have some sort of timeline, and a number of other positives, it seems that she probably wasn't the source, and not the superspreader, if there was one. The common denominator known so far was Trump himself. He was present at events attended by all the positives so far. This doesn't mean he was the superspreader, but he can't yet be ruled out as such.
While other Trump family members and others in the inner circle tested negative today, the timeline suggests that infections may be present that haven't shown up yet. For those exposed to Trump at Tuesday's debate, for example, an infection might not show up until Sunday, on average.
Otherwise, on Friday evening, each report makes Trump's condition more symptomatic and more serious. Since no one can trust official pronouncements from this White House, people who claim to know are given more credibility. An unfortunate situation to say the least.
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